Blank for making locomotive-pilots.



C. T. WESTLAKE. BLANK FOR MAKING LOCOMOTIVE PILOTS.

APPLICATION-FILED JUNE 24. 1915- Patent'ed Apr. 4, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- C. T. WESTLAKE.

BLANK FOR MAKING LOCOMOTIVE P ILOTS. APPLICATION men JUNE 24,1915.

1,178,1 1 4. Patented Apr. 4, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. Q

TATNT lFllQE.

oItAELEs T. WEsTLAKE, 0E sT. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR To oAsT STEEL PILOT COMPANY, OF sT. LOUIS, MIssoUEI, A CORPOR TION OF DELAWARE.

' BLANK FOR; MAKING LOCOMOTIVE-PILOTS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES T. W sT- LAKE, a citizen-of the UnitedStateS reS dmg at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Blanks for Making Locomotive-Pilots, of which the following isga full, clear, and exact descrip- .tion, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appert'ains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates generally tolocomotivepilcts and more particularly to a blank or flat skeleton frame which is adapted to be bent at various points and along certam lines so as to produce a pilot of the desired conformation.

The principal object of my invention is to produce a b nk which is particularly designedfor a locomotive pilot, said blank being stamped or can: from a plate or sectlon -.of comparativelyheavy sheet metal; and said blank having certain portions bent to form reinforcing ribs and flanges, andwhich latter are effective in imparting to the filiishedpilot the requisite-strength andrigidity. I

A further object of my invention is to providea one piece blank adapted to be bent to form a locomotive pilot, such jone piece construction being advantageous in that it isentirely devoid of joints, rivets, bolts and like attaching and fastening devicei With' the foregoing andother objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described,

claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings, 1n vwl1'1ch.-

In the drawingsEigure 1 is a'pl an view of a blankfwhich iscut, from a section of sheet metal, said blank being of the contour Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. a, 19116.

Application filed June 24,1915. Serial No. 36,076.

suitable dies or otherwise from a section of sheet metal such as steel plate, a blank 10- which is bilaterally symmetrical and which is of the proper contour to produce the finished pilot when the blank is later pressed to proper shape. The bilateral portions of the blank are inclined with respect to each other and their lower edges 11 are straight and meet at a central point, which latter forms the apex or nose of the pilot when the same is finished. Formed at the outer forward ends of the blank are projecting portions 12, preferably triangular in outline, the same serving as steps when the blank is pressed to proper shape. The side edges 13 of the blank are inclined with respect to each other and also with respect to the axis or medial line of the blank, and formed integral with or projecting outwardly from the sideedges are members 14 which, when the blank is bent to proper shape, serve as .bracketswhich engage beneath the beam to which the finished pilot is applied. The upper central portion of the blank is cut away as designated by 15 in order to forma pocket .or space which receives the coupler head of the locomotive to which the. finished pilot is applied. The upper edges 16 of the blank to the sides of central opening are arranged substantially at rightangles to the side edges .13 and said upperedges are in-' clined with respect to the medial line of the blank. Pro ecting outwardly from the corners' of the blank between the side edges 13 and upper edges '16 and from thecorners between'said upper edges 16 and the central opening 15 are sections 17 which, when the blank is bent to proper form, serve as attaching plates or brackets'which engage the bea to which the pilot is applied. After the lank having the contour substantially as herein described is produced it is placed in a suitable press to form apractically continuous marginal bead 18, the same extending'along the edges 11, along the edges of the extensions 12, along the side edges 13, along the top edges 16 and along the edges of the opening 15. This bead'is preferably formed by slightly rounding 0r curving the metal adjacent to the edges of the blank as shown in Fig. 5, although, if desired, said bead may take the form of a flange extending either forwardly or rearwardly from the. main body portion of the blank. The central portions of the extensions 17 are preferably embossed or pressed upwardly so as to occupy substantially the same plane w1th tially arallel with the side'edges13. At the time t ese slcts are punched or formed, the material in the blank adjacent to the edges of' said slots is bent rearwardly as designated by 21, thereby forming reinforcing ribs or flanges at the sides'of said slots and when the blank is bent to proper shape, the portions of material between said slots serve as pilot bars 'or slats 22. The extensions 12 are now bent upwardly at an angle with respect to the plane occupied by the body of the blank and if desired, the upper faces of these projections can be corrugated or roughened, thus providing tread gripping surfaces for the boots or shoes. of the trainmen. The upper portions of the side .extensions 14 are now bentdownwar'dly or rearwardly along the dotted'lines a Fig. 1 until they occupy positions substantially at rightanglesto the main body portions of said extensions, after which the latter are bent downward or rearward along the dot ted lines 6, Fig. 1 until they occupy positions substantially at right angles to the plane occupied by the body 'of the blank, and thus said extensions-serve as brackets to engage beneath the beam to which the finished pilot is applied. The blank is now placed in a suitable press or bulldozer and bent to proper shape and in so doing the bilateral portions ofthe blank are bent rear- Warolly with respect to the medialline so that said bilateral portionsoccupy inclined positions with respect to each other and with respect to a vertical plane and as thisis done, the side edges 13 are brought into substantially vertical positions and the upper edges 16 are brought into position so that they occupy a substantially horizontal line. Either before or after this final bending of.

the blank to shape, the extensions 17 are bent upward slightly so that they occupy a planeat an'angle relative to the plane occupied by the body of the blank, and thus when the pilot is finished these extensions occupy a substantially vertical plane and bear directly againstthefront face of the beam to which the-pilot is applied.

The blank of my improved construction rivets and like fastening devices, and when. the blank is bent to proper shape, a locomotive pilot is produced which, while com- 'paratively lightiin weight, has the requisite strength and rigidity I claim: 1. blank for making locomotive pilots comprising a flat metal plate of polygonal shape, the, bilateral portions of which plate are symmetrical, the corresponding top,

lside and bottom edges of which bilateral portions diverge, there being slots formed in said blank, which slots are substantially parallel with each other and with the side edges of said blank, and pprtions of the outer edges of said blank and portions of .the edges adjacent to said slots being-bent toform reinforcing elements.

2. A blank for making locomotivepilots comprising a fiat metal plate of polygonal shape, the bilateral portions of which plate side and bottom edges of which bilateral portions diverge, there being slots formed in said blank, which slots are substantially parallel with each other and with the-side edges of said blank, and extensions on said I are symmetrical, the corresponding top,

comprising a fiat metal plate of polygonal shape, the bilateral portions of which plate are symmetrical, the corresponding top, side and bottom edges of. whichbilateral portions diverge, there being slots formed in said blank, which slots are substantially parallel with each other and with the side edges ofsaidblank, and extensions on the ends of said blank, which extensions are CHARLES T. WESTLAKE.

Witnesses:

HAL O. BELLVILLE, O'r'ro V. Minus.

. bent to form steps whenthe blank'is bent 

